Mississippi State University's College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) research program seeks to maintain, and provide continuous improvement to animal holding facilities, equipment and ancillary support facilities. A properly designed cage wash area, with a reliable, efficient cage washer that can meet institutional needs and that is safe for personnel to operate and work near is fundamental to any effective animal care and use program. The cage wash facility on Research Wing 1A is equipped with a 23 year old single door Basil RW4600 cage washer that routinely breaks down on average every 21.6 days, resulting in annual repair costs of over $13,000. Because the original manufacturer has been purchased by another company, it is often difficult and time consuming to obtain parts. Frequent breakdowns in the cage wash area result in delays in cage sanitation, which then may affect research project timing. An analysis of current usage revealed that the cage washer is operated at approximately 8% of capacity, based upon a 9 hour work day, 365 days/year. Though not presently operating at full capacity, an anticipated increase in cage washer use by our staff will likely increase the number of breakdowns and, therefore, maintenance costs in the coming years. The current cage wash area does not adequately separate clean cage storage from dirty, does not have a satisfactory traffic pattern, does not have a dumping station for bedding, does not have adequate ventilation, is not energy efficient, and does not have current safety features to ensure a safe work environment. Fundamental corrective action, i.e., replacement of the aged cage washer, redesign of awkward Facilities, and addition of a bedding dumping station will minimize current and future biocontainment concerns, reduce exposure of workers to allergens, create an environmentally controlled work environment, and reduce the energy necessary to perform these tasks.
